India can be 100 per cent electric vehicle nation by 2030: Piyush Goyal

New Delhi : Union Minister of State for Power Piyush Goyal has said that India has the potential to become first nation of its size to be 100 per cent electric vehicle country by 2030.Addressing a recent an event organised by CII Young India, Goyal said, “India can become the first country of its size which will run 100 per cent of electric vehicles. We are trying to make this programme self financing. We don’t need one rupee support from the government. We don’t need one rupee investment from the people of India.” He said that the government is evolving a scheme where people can be offered an electric car for free (zero down payment) and people can pay for it out of savings on petroleum products.Goyal said that possessing an open mind was the key to being innovative.
“You need to think of scale and be honest,” he added.
Goyal said that a small working group led by Road Minister Nitin Gadkari has been created with Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on its board.”We are meeting in first week of April and see if India can be 100 per cent on electric vehicles by 2030. We are trying to see if we can monetise the savings then you will have use cheaper electricity for sharing of your cars.” “We are thinking of scale. We are thinking of leading the world rather than following the world. India will be first largest country in the world to think of that scale,” Goyal said
On the issue of power tariff, he said, “We don’t need to increase any tariff in the country. We just need to work smart and bring technology. India can be powerhouse of affordable energy across the country. Cross subsidy across the state can handle the issue.”
Under the Power System Development Fund scheme, the government will save Rs 1,829 crore for providing gas to nine SGPs for six months till September.